Overview

• Researchers estimate about 1.4 million adults meet criteria for gambling addiction and a further 3.5 million show risky behavior, affecting nearly five million people nationwide.
• Federal addiction commissioner Hendrik Streeck warns that illegal operators and especially online gambling are worsening harms and urges stronger youth and player protections alongside expanded prevention and research.
• Experts say the disorder often remains hidden for years, with many seeking help only one to five years after problems begin, and they describe recovery as possible through therapy but prone to relapse.
• Children are heavily impacted, with roughly 600,000 minors living with at least one gambling-addicted parent and facing neglect, anxiety, depression, school difficulties, and a higher risk of later excessive gambling.
• The legal gambling market reached a record €63.5 billion in turnover with €6.6 billion in tax revenue, even as calls intensify to restrict advertising and improve data-driven oversight.